MP3 export's volume too low when there's diverse Dynamics.

• Aug 10, 2022 - 12:45

This has been an issue for me for years now. If I use more than 2 Dynamics, the audio becomes really soft.

You can't really tell the difference between MF and F. You can barely hear any difference when you use FF or louder no matter what soundfont you use.

Is there a way to fix this? I could think of using Audacity to set the volume for each individual staves, but that would be extremely tedious.


Comments

"I could think of using Audacity to set the volume for each individual staves"
You can achieve the same thing in MuseScore by adjusting the volume for each instrument in the Mixer. Why use external software like Audacity for that purpose?

In reply to by DanielR

I normally make piano arrangements.
It would not be practical for me to notate the melodies separately, especially when the dynamic changes throughout the music score.

Unless there's a way to set volume levels at specific points-- which I don't know of...

You wrote:
If I use more than 2 Dynamics, the audio becomes really soft.

Okay, say you use 3 dynamics: fff to mf to ppp. Well, the audio should become really soft. What do you expect?

It will help immensely if you attach an actual MuseScore file and unequivocally explain your dilemma. Mention specific dynamics located in what measures so we can see the dynamics you use, and we can hear for ourselves. You can even attach an exported .mp3 to your post - just label it with a .mid extension.

Volume level of standard audio files has nothing to do with how many dynamics you use; it's always - in any program - about the maximum volume. Standard audio formats call for the loudest passage to be at a particular level, with everything else then scaled down. So as mentioned, if your loudest passage is fff, the p passages are going to be much softer in comaprison. This is completely normal and correct. If on the other hand the loudest passage if only mf, the mp section won't be as quiet in comparison. Also completely normal and correct. But the fff passage of the first file and the mf passage of the second file will be the same volume the is called "normalization" in the audio industry, and again, completely normal and correct.

Hi Haoto,

IMHO try in Musescore
* edit dynamic symbol velocity https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/dynamics#edit-velocity
* custom palette https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/palettes#custom-palettes

As this've been troubling you for years, I recommend googling and reading more on these topics:
* MIDI velocity
* https://musescore.org/en/node/288012 (not sure if info update-to-date)
* normalization
* compression mixing
* reverb
* edit soundfont velocity layer Polyphone

Also per track VST support is coming in Musescore4

Cheers

In reply to by Haoto 2

Musescore has a compression effect built in you can try - see View / Synthesizer / Master Effects. Or you can load the audio file into your favorite audio editor and apply whatever compression they offer. Note - the effect will be similar to simply removing the dynamics - it will make your audio less musical.

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